Chapter 189

Chapter 189: Hanging "You want me to admit to having an affair with Head Villager Zheng?" Lixiang instinctively shook her head. "I can't do that. I'm not even married yet. If I take the blame for this, my family's reputation will be ruined too." Lixiang needed money, but this was something she couldn't do. Other matters could still be discussed, but this absolutely could not. She was an innocent, pure girl. If she admitted to this, her parents would disown her—where would she have to go then? "What does reputation matter?" Zhuqing continued. "As long as you have money, what kind of good life can't you have? Look at the jewelry I have here—it's worth at least a hundred taels of silver. Wouldn't it be wonderful to take these things and live your own life?" "But the Eldest Mistress and the others..." "Don't worry about them. At worst, they'll beat you with boards and kick you out. The Marquis Mansion can't take your life." "Why does Concubine suddenly want me to take the blame?" Lixiang suddenly sensed something wrong. She had always been keeping watch for the concubine—could it be that the secret had been exposed and someone had found out? Seeing the doubt in Lixiang's eyes, Zhuqing knew this matter would not be easy to resolve. Lixiang didn't know the real situation now—if she did, she would be even less likely to agree. She walked behind Lixiang, picked up a gold-wrapped silver bracelet, and put it on Lixiang's wrist. "You know, from the very beginning, I was forced into this. Unfortunately, I was foolish—I shouldn't have let Zheng Side threaten me. Now I can't shake him off, but I've given birth to a son who will likely inherit the Marquis Mansion. How can I keep entangling with Zheng Side?" That was true. Lixiang had heard the concubine argue with Zheng Side many times. The concubine would also curse Zheng Side for being a toad lusting after swan's meat. "I've made up my mind now to have it out with Zheng Side, but he holds leverage over me. If he insists on a fight to the death, I thought that if you could take the blame for me, this matter could be smoothed over." Zhuqing lifted Lixiang's hand. "Look, your skin is so fair—doesn't it look beautiful on you?" Lixiang tried to take it off, but Zhuqing stopped her. "You've served me for so long. Whether you agree or not, this bracelet is my token of appreciation—a gift to you." Zhuqing patted Lixiang's shoulder. "Go back and think it over carefully. Is it better to marry a forty-year-old old man, or take my money and be kicked out of the Marquis Mansion?" Lixiang hesitated. Reputation was important, but money was important too. She had grown up suffering from the bitterness of poverty her whole life. Now, finally, she had a chance to have money. Back in her room, Lixiang looked at the bracelet on her wrist and at the young, delicate face in the bronze mirror. She was only fifteen, with the best years of her life still ahead. Did she really have to follow her family's arrangements? Lixiang didn't know how to make the decision. She planned to wait a night before deciding—after all, the concubine hadn't said this matter was urgent. Meanwhile, at the Rong Prince Mansion, when Princess Consort Rong heard that someone had died at the Jiangyuan Marquis Mansion, she was just about to send someone when Prince Rong arrived. There was no hiding it now. Princess Consort Rong could only tell the truth. "Rongjia said Old Madame Song doesn't want to make a fuss, so she had to come to the Rong Prince Mansion for help." "This Old Madame Song, she is truly muddle-headed. Either investigate this matter herself, or report it to the authorities. She cares so much about reputation—sooner or later, her reputation will be completely ruined!" Prince Rong was very dissatisfied with the recent state of the Jiangyuan Marquis Mansion. "Back then, we didn't properly investigate the Jiangyuan Marquis Mansion's background before letting Rongjia marry into it. It turned out to be an empty shell that has to rely on a woman's money to compete for dignity!" "What use is there in saying all this now?" Princess Consort Rong said with displeasure. "Since things have come to this, we can only send someone over." Prince Rong waved his hand, signaling Chen De's Wife and the others to leave quickly, so as not to be an eyesore here. After everyone had left, Prince Rong sat down to drink tea, then set down the teacup and let out a long sigh. "Tell me, why is our daughter, whom we raised in the palms of our hands, so ill-fated?" If it weren't for her inability to bear children, why would their daughter have been at odds with the eldest son of the Du family? And how could there have been what came after... Sigh. Prince Rong let out another long sigh. "I have done everything I could for this daughter of mine. You should advise her—she should settle down and stop causing more trouble for the Prince Mansion." The two were an old married couple, and Princess Consort Rong sensed something amiss. "What's wrong with you today? Could it be that someone is dissatisfied with the Prince Mansion?" "Do you know that your sister's son-in-law has become a follower of Prince Wu?" Prince Rong asked. Princess Consort Rong was very surprised. "How would I know that? Surely Your Highness hasn't forgotten—I was never on good terms with my half-sister in our maiden days. Why would I pay attention to matters in her household?" This point, Prince Rong did indeed know something about. Initially, he had taken a liking to the gentle and graceful Bai Sushuang. Later, when they exchanged birth charts and calculated that the eight characters were incompatible, he switched to the current Princess Consort Rong. He had privately made inquiries afterward and learned that the two Bai sisters were at odds with each other privately, even secretly competing over this marriage of his. But after Princess Consort Rong married into the family, she was proper in every way, so he had no complaints. After all, both were daughters of the Bai family—Prince Rong hadn't paid much attention to whether the Bai family had pulled any strings. "Hmph, it's her son-in-law who submitted a memorial impeaching me. The Emperor has been testing me lately, as you know—he's still hesitating over which nephew to adopt as Crown Prince." Prince Rong himself had no ambition for the throne, because he knew that although his imperial brother couldn't produce sons, his methods were second to none. Had he shown even a hint of disloyalty, the Emperor could wipe out the entire Rong Prince Mansion without leaving a trace. He knew full well he could never contend for the throne, so he wanted his youngest son adopted by the Emperor. That way, whoever sat on the throne in the future would carry his bloodline. That would do just as well. "How does he have such ability?" Princess Consort Rong had only asked about her half-sister's family a few days ago, and everything she heard was unfavorable. "You're asking me? How would I know?" Prince Rong snorted coldly. "Within a few days, their family will be coming to Bianjing. You might even get to see them. By the way, I saw Wanxian—she does bear some resemblance to you, even more so than Rongjia." The words carried a mocking tone, but they were also what Prince Rong had seen with his own eyes. Lou Wanxian was Bai Sushuang's daughter, a cousin born on the same day as County Princess Rongjia, yet their fates could not be more different—one noble and privileged beyond measure, the other living a life of hardship. "You must be muddled with anger, Your Highness. How could Bai Sushuang's daughter possibly resemble me?" Princess Consort Rong refused to believe it. She absolutely could not bear to see her half-sister's family rise. It was she who had pulled the strings back then to send Wanxian's husband to some godforsaken post in the middle of nowhere. And that Wanxian was no good either—when her letter begging for help failed, she turned to curry favor with Prince Wu instead. If they were allowed to return to Bianjing, wouldn't they cause her trouble at every turn? Princess Consort Rong was so preoccupied with her half-sister's family that she forgot all about the Jiangyuan Marquis Mansion. Meanwhile, at the Jiangyuan Marquis Mansion, another person had died. In the maid's quarters, Lixiang hung from the beam, and Zhuqing had cried herself into a mess of tears. "That foolish girl, why couldn't she see things through?" Zhuqing sobbed into Song Shulan's arms, choking on her tears. "Wait—that bracelet on Lixiang's wrist, isn't that mine? How did it end up with her?" Everyone looked over. Song Shulan remembered that bracelet—he had given it to Zhuqing after she became pregnant. Cui Lingrong came in and took a glance. Lixiang's death was truly horrifying to behold. Turning her back to Lixiang, she went to Zhuqing. "Lixiang was your personal maid. Has she seemed off in any way lately?" With people dying one after another at the marquis mansion, even Cui Lingrong felt a creeping unease. "Your wife doesn't know." Zhuqing shook her head, then suddenly seemed to think of something. "Oh! I remember now—a few days ago, her mother came for a visit. She said her father was gravely ill and that she'd found Lixiang a well-off family to marry into. I don't know the specifics of which family, but ever since then, she'd been downcast and gloomy."